“Mr. Speaker, the inability to get to agreement on this sequester is hurting the economy. And I will tell my friend that we've offered three times to have a bill considered as an alternative to sequester which cuts spending, raises some additional revenues.

“I want to congratulate the Leader for her efforts in getting us to this point. Today, after two months, I think we're going to do something very positive and we're going to do it in a very bipartisan way. I think that's excellent. I think America will be advantaged. Every American – women, yes, but every American – will be advantaged.

“Mr. Speaker, we are now two days away from failure-triggered, ideological-driven and irrational budget cuts called ‘sequester.’ It's an extraordinarily bad policy that 229 Republicans voted for on July 19, 2011 [in their Cut, Cap, and Balance bill]. These cuts could be incredibly harmful to our national defense, our economy, and our national welfare.

“I am pleased to join Marcia Fudge, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and my good friend, Steve Horsford, the Gentleman from Nevada, and I noticed that Don Payne is here. His father was a very close friend of mine, active some 45 years ago. So it's good to see you here, Don. Hakeem Jeffries - two of our really great new members - I'm pleased to join you.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have now entered the final week before the dangerous, arbitrary, and irrational policy of sequestration, which Republicans proposed first in their Cut, Cap and Balance bill in July of 2011. If I were the Majority Leader, Mr. Speaker, that policy would not go into effect.

“Mr. Speaker, there is not time to debate in the time I have available how we determine federal pay. I was a sponsor of the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act, which [President] George Bush signed back in 1990. I know a little bit about this. But America is confronting a sequestration that will have devastating impact on our economy, on every individual in America and on international confidence in America's ability to manage itself. And what have we spent two days on? A quarter percent cap on cost-of-living adjustment for federal employees. A quarter of a percent.

“The Gentleman who preceded me is new to the Congress of the United States. I've been here for a little longer than that, some 32 years. This is the least confidence building Congress – last Congress and this Congress – in which I have ever served. It is taking us from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis. It is creating cliffs where no cliffs ought to exist, and they undermine the confidence of business, America, Americans, and, indeed, the rest of the world that needs a stable and secure America to ensure that we keep the kind of stability that Americans want here at home and around the world.

“I think it's unfortunate that now for two and a half years the only working people - the only working people - in America who have received a freeze or decrease or have contributed to solving the debt crisis which confronts us, with which the Gentleman and I agree, are federal workers. I’m not talking about Members of Congress. I'm not talking about the President or the Vice President. The President doesn't get a COLA adjustment, obviously. But it's a cost of living adjustment, and I will say to my friend that I have worked over the last 20 years with his counterparts, either in the majority or minority to ensure we made the distinction so people understood and didn't demagogue that issue. I regret that we are doing so here again.”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Price of Georgia said what the American people want. What the American people don't want is games. This is a game. This is a sham. This is a shame. What the American people want is honest legislation to address the challenges that confront us.

“I want to say to the Speaker before he leaves the Floor, I believe the Speaker wants to get to a responsible agreement between our parties, between the House and the Senate and between the Congress and the President on getting to a responsible way to reduce the budget. This bill is not that vehicle. This bill, in my view, is an irresponsible waste of our time. This bill does not do what Republicans said they wanted to do over and over and over again. And that is: give a sense of certainty to our economy, to our people, and to the international community.

“I join in thanking U.S. Trade Representative Amb. Ron Kirk for his four years of dedicated service as America’s chief advocate for exports and fair trade practices. Under his leadership, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative oversaw the opening of new markets for our businesses and the implementation of tougher trade enforcement rules that help ensure a level playing field for American products overseas. Throughout this tenure, Amb. Kirk has stressed that when American businesses can compete fairly, they will prosper and create new opportunities for jobs here at home. He has been a strong supporter of American workers and their role as the engine of our economic growth, and I was glad to have had the opportunity to work with him in developing parts of House Democrats’ Make It In America jobs plan to revitalize our manufacturing sector. I wish him all the best as he embarks on the next phase in his career.”

“I join in marking the 40th anniversary today of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which affirmed every woman’s basic right to individual privacy and reproductive health choices. As Congress continues to address the issue of access to affordable health care for all Americans, I will continue to stand firm in protecting reproductive choice and initiatives that prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception and health education. I look forward to working hand-in-hand with women’s health groups and women’s rights advocates to stand up for the choices and privacy all American women deserve and that, according to the Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, our Constitution guarantees.”

“Today, as President Barack Obama took his second oath of office to ‘preserve, protect, and defend’ our Constitution, we reflect on the challenges our nation has faced over the past four years, as well as the ones that lie ahead. President Obama has taken action to strengthen our economy, reduce our deficits, and increase our national security. We have made significant progress over the course of his first term, but we know more needs to be done to make the promise of the American Dream more accessible to every American.

"On Monday, we will join in remembering the tireless work and the inspirational life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his thirty-nine short years walking this Earth, Dr. King preached a gospel of peace and brotherhood that continues to resonate across the country, in the hearts of millions seeking to create a more perfect union for the generations to follow.

"Sadly, with today's proposal we see a continuation of putting politics before policy, which the Republican majority pursued with a vengeance in the last Congress. To my knowledge, no responsible Republican leader believes that default will be anything other than disastrous.

“I thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Ranking Member, Mrs. Lowey, and I thank Mr. Rogers for his work as well bringing this bill to the Floor. I rise not only in support of the Chairman's mark at $17 billion, but also for the Frelinghuysen amendment. I think both of these together meet our responsibilities in responding to one of the most historic and damaging storms to hit the country. Not only the Northeast but to the country.

“I want to congratulate all of the Members who represent New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other jurisdictions who have been united in a bipartisan way to say: let us reach out, let us act now to help those who have been savaged by [Hurricane] Sandy.